Forget the Recycling Bin: These Bottles Were Turned Into Homes

By filling the bottles—one of the few materials available abundantly—with dirt and sand, Vaca Diez can create a sturdy alternative to bricks. So far, the self-taught designer has built ten homes. The families she works with are often rural, indigenous migrants, and she chooses projects based on how urgent the family's need is.

Plastic bottles probably aren't the ideal long-term solution; there are better ways to deliver drinks, and better building materials. But it's the perfect example of creatively using the materials at hand.